In context: Logitech is credited with creating the first wireless mouse in 1984, using infrared connectivity compatible with M68000-based workstations sold by Metaphor Computer Systems. The company is still selling wired and cordless mice to this day under the "Logitech G" brand, which is mostly focused on gaming enthusiasts and esports professionals.
Swiss peripheral manufacturer Logitech just announced a new affordable, yet capable wireless mouse for gamers. The G309 Lightspeed device is equipped with many of the technology solutions developed by the company over the past few years, offering dual-wireless connectivity, precision tracking, and several ways to customize the experience with both gaming applications and traditional PC software.
G309 Lightspeed's hardware platform is based on the Hero 25K sensor, which offers a sensitivity up to 25,600 DPI and a 400 IPS tracking speed with no acceleration or smoothing. The mouse is also equipped with hybrid optical-mechanical switches, which according to Logitech should provide the same performance as traditional optical switches with the traditional "click" featured by mechanical components.
In Logitech's parlance, dual-wireless connectivity means that the G309 mouse can either connect to the company's proprietary Lightspeed receiver or via Bluetooth. The mouse can last for 300 hours (or 600 hours in Bluetooth mode) on a single AA alkaline battery, although users could opt to use Logitech's PowerPlay system and avoid batteries altogether.
A PowerPlay wireless charging device can be purchased on Amazon for $110, while the G309 mouse is offered at a suggested price of $80. Logitech says that the G309 is "affordable to most" customers, but you could easily buy a more-than-competent G305 Lightspeed gaming mouse on online retailers for around half that price.
Additional improvements of the G309 over the previous generations include the ability to connect two Lightspeed devices to a single wireless receiver. This could be a boon for users on laptops or compact gaming systems, owning multiple Logitech peripherals but not that many USB ports.
The G309 is fast, precise, and reactive with a 1 ms polling rate in Lightspeed mode, Logitech states, and it should also be rather comfortable to use. The mouse comes in at 86 grams when equipped with an AA battery, though it weighs just 68 grams when a Powerplay compatible mat is used. G309 customization can be managed through Logitech's G Hub, a software client that lets users fine-tune DPI settings, change "button maps," and more.